COMMUNITY GROUPS lift a city in so many ways. The Miami Women's Club can point to 125 years of bringing women together from the city's earliest days to the vibrant multicultural metropolis it is today. Our Guest is Metris Batts-Coley, the organization's first black president who shares with us the clubs's history, goals, and growth. We also talk about how she is working to fight food insecurity as Miami-Dade County braces for the loss of SNAP benefits. FOOD DONATIONS: LINK HERE&nb...

WE START OUR TWELFTH SEASON by talking to a former investigator of the January 6th committee who is running for Congress in from Miami and Key Biscayne ROBIN PEGUERO is a Harvard grad, novelist, and former Miami prosecutor who wants to be your next member of Congress. He's one of two Democrats hoping to unseat Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar Listen and learn more! Send us a text Support the show Subscribe to the Key Biscayne Independent today

INSURANCE, REPAIRS and high costs are just some reasons being given for a downward trend in home values in South Florida of late, but out guest KEN JOHNSON crunches numbers across the nation and his conclusions are -- different. If you have to pay for a roof over your head -- buy, sell, or rent --- it's a show you don't want to miss. Ken Johnson is the creator of a widely-known index that helps buyers and sellers understand the value of their homes compared to general market trend...

THE 2026 MIDTERMS ARE A LONG WAY OFF, but two Democrats are already vying to take on incumbent Maria Elvira Salazar. Sensing growing disapproval with President Trump on topics like immigration and the economy, businessman Richard Lamondin announced a bid earlier this year. He will face former Key Biscayne Mayor Mike Davey in August. We ask him about his background, the main issues, and how he expects to be viable in a district that has shifted to the GOP. Send us a text Support the sh...

President Donald Trump wants to zero out funding to public radio and TV, cuts that would affect the programming you hear and see in South Florida. Measures in Congress would also cut funds for WLRN and WPBT, the stations that provide unique local news and entertainment programming, as well as bringing NPR and PBS programs free of charge to you. Our guest is Sergio Bustos, the vice president of news for WLRN, whose department creates strong local reporting in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm...

ERIC LANG stepped down as Key Biscyane's fire chief recently, wrapping up three decades of service on the barrier island. A founder of the department, he's helped respond to tragedies large and small. We talk to him about his decision, and the safety issues he think the island faces now and in the future. And we also discuss the new plan from Commissioner Raquel Regalado for the Rickenbacker Causeway. It drew big applause, but faces many obstacles. Send us a text Support the sho...

NOT EVERY TOWN of 15,000 can boast a homegrown player who's now a teammate of Lionel Messi. But Key Biscayne can. Our guest is Marcelo Radice, who's worked to build the island's soccer programs for both boys and girls. We ask him about how the program has grown, and the exciting goal of being connected to Major League Soccer. Jan and Tony also talk about some of the biggest local news headlines ranging from e-bikes to condos. Send us a text Support the show Subscribe to th...

DAVID JOLLY is a former Republican Congressman from the Tampa Bay area who is looking at the Florida Governor's mansion -- and in our podcast, says he's planning a run as Democrat. Can he successfully find a winning lane as a political moderate in highly polarized state ? His answers might surprise you. In our second segment, we talk about fluoridation and Immigration issues that have divided officials in South Florida. With Special Guest host Thom Mozloom -- so brace ...

EARLIER THIS YEAR, some of Miami's best-known charities agreed that local news in our community is in deep trouble. They joined a national program, PRESS FORWARD, to help make sure local news coverage in Dade, Broward, and Monroe counties survives. Our guest, is NIKISHA WILLIAMS of the Miami Foundation, who talks about why donors are stepping forward, and what the initiative hopes to achieve, and how the community can shape news coverage by taking a reader survey Click HERE to tak...

SUNSHINE WEEK celebrates both press freedoms and the ability to get public records and know what's going on in your government. Our first guest is STEVE HERMAN, off the air after the Trump administration shuttered Voice of America. We talk about how listeners around the world have lost a key news source. Closer to home, we speak with Bobby Block, head of the Florida First Amendment Foundation about some legislation that could erase even knowing where your lawmakers live - and how you ca...

A FULL BLOWN TRADE WAR is now raging, after Donald Trump started slapping tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico, China, and now, most of Europe. But what is his theory, and does it have any economic history? OUR GUEST is a JAMES FEIGENBAUM, a professor of economics who formerly worked for the Federal Reserve Bank, who says the president is following a centuries old script -- that most countries abandoned a long time ago. We also talk about another area -- the impact of illegal immi...

NO ONE KNOWS how deep the cuts are, but forecasters at America's weather agency, NOAA, say the quality of forecasts could be jeopardized with layoffs of scientists and other employees. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has a wide research mission that Floridians depend on for hurricanes and research into climate change and sea level rise. Our guest is JAMES FRANKLIN, a veteran scientist who has flown dozens of missions into the eyes of hurricanes. We ask him what...

A LITTLE BIT OF BOASTING, but Key Biscayne's annual "Rib Off" is set in an idyllic bayside spot where smoke, pork, and community fuse together for one of the nation's best barbecue competitions -- all done for a great charitable cause Our guest is Ron Magill, South Florida's best-known wildlife expert who just also happens to be a baby back rib lover and one of the judge's for this year's competition. BONUS: stay tuned at the end of the show for an interview with one of Jorge Blan...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a sweeping package of immigration laws on Thursday aimed at carrying out President Donald Trump ’s mass deportation agenda. Republicans say the laws put Florida — long a haven for immigrants — on the leading edge of conservative-controlled states working to leverage state and local resources for federal immigration enforcement. Our guest is TIFFANY HANKINS, was right in the middle of this big decision Tallahassee - she is the director of policies and pol...

YEARS OF PLANNING was thrown into turmoil this week when the mayor of Key Biscayne reversed position on the Big Dig, aimed at protecting the Miami barrier island from sea level rise. Joe Rasco ran for office on resiliency projects, but his announcement endorsing a pause came in response to public concern about rising costs. Our guest is Thom Mozloom, a marketing and branding expert, joined with senior correspondent John Pacenti. We discuss how the project ran into opposition, and where ...

KIRSTEN HINES has a master's degree in biology, but it was later in life she learned the lens was the way to get close to the wildlife she loves. An award winning author, she knows Key Biscayne and Miami well. Join us for a fascinating discussion about the amazing beauty that exists even in big urban areas like Miami. You can see her work here Send us a text Support the show Subscribe to the Key Biscayne Independent today

GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS called a special session to deal with a financial crisis facing millions of condo residents, but so far, the Legislature is balking. It's all about dealing with expensive repairs to aging buildings in the wake of the deadly collapse of the Champlain Towers building in Surfside in 2021. Combined with property insurance rates, condo ownership is becoming unaffordable. Our guest is Dana Goldman, a former mayor of Sunny Isles Beach and a condo law expert - we ask her abo...

DOMINOES is a cultural touchstone in South Florida, but the annual gathering of players on the beach at Key Biscayne has a special purpose - furthering hopes and dreams in Liberty City, an economically-challenged area in Miami. Our Guest for the first episode of season eleven (!) is Toby Rohrer, who with her husband Bill raises money for scholarships helping Liberty City residents. Tune in and learn about this cool program-- and about the passion players have for the game. Details on even...

Layoffs. Billionaires. Hedge Funds. Influencers. Declining ad revenue. Journalism has been hit with one Category-5 storm after another. In our final show for Season 10, Sergio Bustos, a veteran journalist and VP of news for WLRN, joins the discussion. We talk about how news has changed, and how organizations are adapting against economic headwinds even as the public craves more fact-based coverage. In our second segment, we talk about Luigi Mangione, accused of gunning do...

ALLISON MCCORMICK just wrapped up eight years as a member of Key Biscayne's Village Council, a term that saw four village managers, a pandemic, and the start of the biggest public works project in the barrier island's history. We talk to her about the challenges of all that - and what is was like to be a public servant at the level closest to the people. And we welcome her as a new board member of Miami Fourth Estate, the parent nonprofit of the Key Biscayne Independent, the Liberty Ci...